"Many Buddhists treat Karma teachings as if they were some sort of absolute truth. Various notions and beliefs concerned with Karma are taken as givens, without much questioning. Elaborations are made on the basis of such beliefs and confusion about Karma's place in Buddha-Dhamma. At times, this involves a deleterious error. In the case of the 9-11 tragedy, such errors become harmful. Thus, I would like to consider Karma teachings in the light of this situation. This essay is addressed to Buddhists. If I were spe..."

"I've been asked to speak today about Buddhist sexual ethics. Sexuality is obviously a topic that is of great interest to a lot of people. Especially when living in a close community in the countryside, as you are here, there can be a lot of confusion about sexuality and sexual relations. A lot of pain can arise from our own or our partner's unwise sexual behavior. It can be helpful to look at the advice Buddhism has to offer in this area...."

"The concept of Karma plays a very important role throughout Asia. Asian religions in general have established the famous universal moral code based upon this law, that good deeds produce good effects and bad deeds produce bad effects. However, it should be pointed out that Buddhism places additional qualifications on this code: I. The Good or Bad Effect Is Neither Reward Nor Punishment The so-called good effect or bad effect is not a judgement nor is it given as a reward or punishment by a supramundan..."

"The Wachowski brothers' 1999 hit release The Matrix draws on multiple religious traditions to establish its complex worldview. Two of the most prominent are Gnostic Christianity and Buddhism, which, like the film, pose humanity's fundamental problem and its solution in terms of ignorance and enlightenment. Because of ignorance, people mistake the "material" world for something real, but they may "wake up" from this dream with help from a guide who teaches them their true nature. This article explores the film's per..."

"As we mentioned in our earlier missives [see Ancient Wisdom pp.93-94], the central star of our solar system, the Great RA, is a true, living entity, possessing its own intrinsic intelligence, consciousness and awareness. Now, this is a very difficult concept to understand, much less accept, by the average person not initiate din the ancient Hermetic-Gnostic mysteries, but what is occurring today -- as we have been maintaining for seven years -- is that our Solar System is undergoing a most profound evolution, and..."

"This article offers some vital "consumer" guidelines and specific questions that should be asked when considering any involvement with a spiritual group. I asked my friend, lama Surya Das, the first officially ordained western Tibetan buddhist lama to give his perspective, and he graciously wrote an introduction for me from a Buddhist perspective. My intention was always to add perspectives from respected people from all the major world religions into the introduction, and hopefully this will be done in the coming ..."